Halle Bailey Just Channeled Janet Jackson at New York Fashion Week: ‘My Inspo Always’ (Exclusive)

Halle Bailey turned up the volume for her latest red carpet appearance.

Bailey’s structured black blazer dress was inspired by Janet Jackson, she told PEOPLE on the red carpet for an event in New York City on Wednesday night celebrating the unveiling of jewelry brand Pandora’s Diamond District pop-up installation at Astor Place. Jackson is “my inspo always,” Little Mermaid star, 23, said.

“So that was the atmosphere tonight and I thought it was going to be a lot cooler in New York, but it’s not, it’s hot,” Bailey said with a laugh as she wiped her face with a fan.

She’s more into formal wear than fashion, telling PEOPLE that her “most important thing is to be comfortable.” Bailey planned to take off her black heels when the red carpet was over, she said.

Halle Bailey.

Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock

To celebrate the recent launch of three new collections of lab-grown diamonds, Pandora plans to “take over New York Fashion Week with diamond lenses,” according to the brand, and reimagine everyday moments in New York through an installation.

Besides Grown actresses, a number of other celebrities made an appearance at the star-studded event, including Pamela Anderson, Pandora global ambassador Ashley Park, Julia Fox, Brandon Lee, Cara Santana, Caroline Polachek and Grace Coddington. Anderson and her sons star in Pandora’s latest ad campaign.

Halle certainly knows how to make a statement on the red carpet. She and her older sister Chloe Bailey have been walking red carpets together for years, and Chloe, 25, admitted to PEOPLE last month that they rely on each other to keep their cool and composure.

“I’m so happy when my sister and I go on the red carpet together so we can hold hands, because it’s overwhelming to have people with cameras yelling at you with loads of lights,” she explained. “It’s flattering, because we’re happy they care to see us and what we’re wearing, but it’s devastating.”

Although they sometimes struggle with nerves, the sisters said that a glamorous night in the spotlight instantly boosted their confidence. “You feel like a new woman,” Halle said.

Halle Bailey (left) said older sister Chloe Bailey helped her find her confidence through her style.

Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

The “Unbogly Hour” singer recently told. Cosmopolitan that it took her a while to hit her stride when it came to her style. “I’m definitely not a natural,” she revealed in the magazine’s September cover story. “I look at some pictures of myself on the red carpet and I laugh.”

“But as I get older and my body changes, I’m learning who I am,” Halle continued. “I want to be sexy. I want to feel good. I want to wear clothes that embrace where I am in life.”

Chloe & Halle Bailey’s New Collab Against Pink Is All About Dressing ‘Fresh Hot Clothes’ Up Or Down (Exclusive)

She credits Chloe with helping her find her way in fashion and with more confidence in taking risks with her clothes. “My confidence has gotten deeper and bigger with the help of my sister,” she said of Chloe. “She was always an extroverted, sexy, demanding kind of presence.”

“When I was looking at it, I was like, ‘That’s so cool,'” she added. “I hope to be able to do that one day. She helps me find my footing in this whole world of grown women.”

Pamela Anderson (left) and Halle Bailey (right) pose together at Pandora New York Fashion Week.

Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock

Halle also told PEOPLE that she enjoys experimenting more now that she’s put her teenage years behind her and is “more mature.”

“Now I’m more comfortable wearing things that fit me and I accept my curves,” she explained.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

This December, fans will have another chance to see Halle on the big screen when she stars in a new film adaptation of the film produced by Oprah Winfrey Purple. In her Cosmopolitan interview, Halle said she had a blast filming alongside her co-stars, including Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson and Ciara.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education